EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Issued by the Authority of the Minister for Health and Ageing
Private Health Insurance Act 2007
Private Health Insurance (Complying Product) Rules 2008 (No.1)
Section 333-20 of the Private Health Insurance Act 2007 (the Act) provides that the Minister may make Private Health Insurance (Complying Product) Rules (the Rules) providing for matters required or permitted by Chapter 3 of the Act, or necessary or convenient in order to carry out or give effect to the Act.
The Private Health Insurance (Complying Product) Rules 2008(No.1) (the Rules) commence on 20 March 2008. The Rules revoke and remake the Private Health Insurance (Complying Product) Rules 2007 (No.3) (the previous Rules).
The purpose of Rule 8A is to enforce the patient contribution for privately insured nursing-home type patients (NHTP) by restricting the amount of benefit that private health insurers pay under each policy for each day of NHTP hospital treatment at a hospital to the hospital’s charge less the patient contribution amount.
These rules make minor changes to Rule 8A(3)(a) of the rules by amending the amounts for NHTP patient contributions at public hospitals in South Australia from $39.05 to $39.70, Tasmania from $39.05 to $39.70,Victoria from $39.05 to $39.70, Queensland from $39.05 to $39.70 and New South Wales from $38.40 to $39.05.
These rules also make minor changes to Rule 8A(3)(b) for NHTP patient contributions for private hospitals from $39.05 to $39.70.
Consultation
Each State and Territory Health Authority was consulted with regard to increasing the NHTP patient contribution for their State or Territory.
PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE BRANCH
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND AGEING
MARCH 2008